List of counties in Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Counties of Montana |
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---|---|
Location | State of Montana |
Number | 56 |
Populations | 485 (Petroleum) – 155,634 (Yellowstone) |
Areas | 718 square miles (1,860 km2) (Silver Bow) – 5,543 square miles (14,360 km2) (Beaverhead) |
Government | County government |
Subdivisions | cities, towns, townships, unincorporated communities, Indian reservations, census designated place |
This is a list of the 56 counties in the U.S. state of Montana. Montana has two consolidated city-counties—Anaconda with Deer Lodge County and Butte with Silver Bow County. The portion of Yellowstone National Park that lies within Montana was not part of any county until 1978, when part of it was nominally added to Gallatin County, and the rest of it to Park County. Eight counties of the state are composed of two or more words.
Montana's postal abbreviation is MT and its FIPS state code is 30.
Counties
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, which is used by the United States government to uniquely identify counties, is provided for each county. The FIPS code for each county links to census data for that county.
County |
FIPS code | County seat | Established | Origin | Naming History | Population | Area | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beaverhead County | 001 | Dillon | 1864 | Original County | Beaverhead Rock in the Jefferson River, which is shaped like a beaver's head. | 9,345 | ( 14,356 km2) |
5,543 sq mi![]() |
Big Horn County | 003 | Hardin | 1913 | Rosebud County, Yellowstone County | Bighorn sheep in the area. | 13,282 | ( 12,937 km2) |
4,995 sq mi![]() |
Blaine County | 005 | Chinook | 1895 | Chouteau County | James G. Blaine (1830 - 1893), United States Secretary of State and presidential candidate. | 6,619 | ( 10,945 km2) |
4,226 sq mi![]() |
Broadwater County | 007 | Townsend | 1897 | Jefferson County, Meagher County | Charles A. Broadwater (1840 - 1892), a pioneer in the area and colonel in the United States Army. | 5,667 | ( 3,087 km2) |
1,192 sq mi![]() |
Carbon County | 009 | Red Lodge | 1895 | Park County, Yellowstone County | Coal deposits in the area. | 10,399 | ( 5,304 km2) |
2,048 sq mi![]() |
Carter County | 011 | Ekalaka | 1917 | Fallon County | Thomas Henry Carter (1854 - 1911), a U.S. Senator from Montana. | 1,169 | ( 8,651 km2) |
3,340 sq mi![]() |
Cascade County | 013 | Great Falls | 1887 | Chouteau County, Meagher County | Great Falls of the Missouri River. | 82,344 | ( 6,988 km2) |
2,698 sq mi![]() |
Chouteau County | 015 | Fort Benton | 1865 | Original County | Jean Pierre Chouteau (1758 - 1849) and his son Pierre Chouteau, Jr. (1789 - 1865). They were part of the Chouteau fur-trading family. | 5,894 | ( 10,290 km2) |
3,973 sq mi![]() |
Custer County | 017 | Miles City | 1865 | Big Horn County | George Armstrong Custer (1839 - 1876), United States Army officer | 12,092 | ( 9,798 km2) |
3,783 sq mi![]() |
Daniels County | 019 | Scobey | 1920 | Sheridan County, Valley County | Mansfield A. Daniels, an early rancher and storekeeper | 1,793 | ( 3,693 km2) |
1,426 sq mi![]() |
Dawson County | 021 | Glendive | 1865 | Unorganized lands | Andrew Dawson, a trapping official and major in the United States Army | 9,518 | ( 6,146 km2) |
2,373 sq mi![]() |
Deer Lodge County | 023 | Anaconda | 1864 | Original County | Deer Lodge Valley, which in turn was either named for the Native American name "Lodge of the White-tailed Deer" or a salt lick where deer came in droves | 9,150 | ( 1,909 km2) |
737 sq mi![]() |
Fallon County | 025 | Baker | 1913 | Custer County | Benjamin O'Fallon, a Federal Native American agent | 3,108 | ( 4,196 km2) |
1,620 sq mi![]() |
Fergus County | 027 | Lewistown | 1885 | Original County | Andrew Fergus, one of the first settlers in the county | 11,442 | ( 11,238 km2) |
4,339 sq mi![]() |
Flathead County | 029 | Kalispell | 1893 | Missoula County | Flathead Native Americans | 94,924 | ( 13,206 km2) |
5,099 sq mi![]() |
Gallatin County | 031 | Bozeman | 1864 | Original County | Albert Gallatin (1791 - 1849), the United States Secretary of the Treasury at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition | 97,308 | ( 6,493 km2) |
2,507 sq mi![]() |
Garfield County | 033 | Jordan | 1919 | Dawson County | James A. Garfield (1831 - 1881), the twentieth President of the United States | 1,309 | ( 12,090 km2) |
4,668 sq mi![]() |
Glacier County | 035 | Cut Bank | 1919 | Teton County | Glacier National Park, which borders the county | 13,696 | ( 7,757 km2) |
2,995 sq mi![]() |
Golden Valley County | 037 | Ryegate | 1920 | Musselshell County, Sweet Grass County | Probably named in a promotional attempt to lure settlers to the area | 852 | ( 3,043 km2) |
1,175 sq mi![]() |
Granite County | 039 | Philipsburg | 1893 | Deer Lodge County, Missoula County | Named for the granite rock which is common in the area's mountains and also held the area's rich gold and silver ore; the old mining town of Granite shared the name. | 3,209 | ( 4,475 km2) |
1,728 sq mi![]() |
Hill County | 041 | Havre | 1912 | Chouteau County | James J. Hill (1838 - 1916), a leading railroad tycoon | 16,596 | ( 7,501 km2) |
2,896 sq mi![]() |
Jefferson County | 043 | Boulder | 1864 | Original County | Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826), the third President of the United States | 11,558 | ( 4,292 km2) |
1,657 sq mi![]() |
Judith Basin County | 045 | Stanford | 1920 | Cascade County, Fergus County | The Judith River which was in turn named by William Clark for Julia "Judith" Hancock, whom he would later marry | 1,991 | ( 4,843 km2) |
1,870 sq mi![]() |
Lake County | 047 | Polson | 1923 | Flathead County, Missoula County | Flathead Lake | 29,099 | ( 3,869 km2) |
1,494 sq mi![]() |
Lewis and Clark County | 049 | Helena | 1864 | Original County | Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the famous explorers | 65,856 | ( 8,964 km2) |
3,461 sq mi![]() |
Liberty County | 051 | Chester | 1920 | Chouteau County, Hill County | The sentiment of the inhabitants when the county was formed soon after World War I | 2,359 | ( 3,704 km2) |
1,430 sq mi![]() |
Lincoln County | 053 | Libby | 1909 | Flathead County | Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865), the 16th President of the United States | 19,125 | ( 9,358 km2) |
3,613 sq mi![]() |
McCone County | 055 | Circle | 1919 | Dawson County, Richland County | George McCone, a Montana state senator who helped create the county | 1,694 | ( 6,845 km2) |
2,643 sq mi![]() |
Madison County | 057 | Virginia City | 1864 | Original County | James Madison (1751 - 1836), the fourth President of the United States and the Secretary of State at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition | 7,820 | ( 9,290 km2) |
3,587 sq mi![]() |
Meagher County | 059 | White Sulphur Springs | 1867 | Chouteau County, Gallatin County | Thomas Francis Meagher (1823 - 1867), an acting Governor of the Montana Territory | 1,853 | ( 6,195 km2) |
2,392 sq mi![]() |
Mineral County | 061 | Superior | 1914 | Missoula County | Many mines and mining prospects within the county | 4,257 | ( 3,160 km2) |
1,220 sq mi![]() |
Missoula County | 063 | Missoula | 1864 | Original County | Supposedly a contraction of the Flathead word, "im-i-sul-e-etiku", meaning "by or near the place of fear or ambush", a reference to Hell Gate Canyon, in which Flathead Native Americans were sometimes attacked by Blackfeet | 112,684 | ( 6,729 km2) |
2,598 sq mi![]() |
Musselshell County | 065 | Roundup | 1911 | Fergus County, Meagher County, Yellowstone County | The Musselshell River, named in turn by the Lewis and Clark Expedition presumably due to mussels found on its banks | 4,589 | ( 4,836 km2) |
1,867 sq mi![]() |
Park County | 067 | Livingston | 1887 | Gallatin County | Nearby Yellowstone National Park | 15,880 | ( 6,879 km2) |
2,656 sq mi![]() |
Petroleum County | 069 | Winnett | 1926 | Fergus County | The production of petroleum at Cat Creek | 485 | ( 4,284 km2) |
1,654 sq mi![]() |
Phillips County | 071 | Malta | 1915 | Blaine County, Valley County | B.D. Phillips, a leading rancher and early pioneer in the county | 4,192 | ( 13,313 km2) |
5,140 sq mi![]() |
Pondera County | 073 | Conrad | 1919 | Chouteau County, Teton County | Originally pend d'oreille, French words meaning "ear pendant"; the name was changed to a form resembling the phonetic spelling to avoid confusion with the lake and town of the same name in Idaho and of a county in Washington. | 6,219 | ( 4,209 km2) |
1,625 sq mi![]() |
Powder River County | 075 | Broadus | 1919 | Custer County | The Powder River, named in turn for the gunpowder-like sand on its shores | 1,783 | ( 8,539 km2) |
3,297 sq mi![]() |
Powell County | 077 | Deer Lodge | 1901 | Deer Lodge County | Mount Powell, which in turn was named for John Wesley Powell (1834 - 1902), the early environmentalist and explorer | 6,909 | ( 6,024 km2) |
2,326 sq mi![]() |
Prairie County | 079 | Terry | 1915 | Dawson County, Fallon County | The county's location on the Great Plains | 1,148 | ( 4,499 km2) |
1,737 sq mi![]() |
Ravalli County | 081 | Hamilton | 1893 | Missoula County | Anthony Ravalli (1812 - 1884), a Jesuit missionary who came to the area in 1845 | 41,030 | ( 6,200 km2) |
2,394 sq mi![]() |
Richland County | 083 | Sidney | 1914 | Dawson County | Named so as to depict fertile soil, in an attempt to lure in settlers | 11,576 | ( 5,398 km2) |
2,084 sq mi![]() |
Roosevelt County | 085 | Wolf Point | 1919 | Sheridan County | Theodore Roosevelt (1858 - 1919), the twenty-sixth President of the United States | 11,332 | ( 6,102 km2) |
2,356 sq mi![]() |
Rosebud County | 087 | Forsyth | 1901 | Custer County | The Rosebud River, which was named for the many wild roses along its banks | 9,326 | ( 12,981 km2) |
5,012 sq mi![]() |
Sanders County | 089 | Thompson Falls | 1905 | Missoula County | Wilbur Fiske Sanders (1834 - 1905), a pioneer, vigilante, and U.S. Senator from Montana | 11,364 | ( 7,154 km2) |
2,762 sq mi![]() |
Sheridan County | 091 | Plentywood | 1913 | Valley County | Philip Sheridan (1831 - 1888), Civil War general | 3,696 | ( 4,343 km2) |
1,677 sq mi![]() |
Silver Bow County | 093 | Butte | 1881 | Deer Lodge County | Silver Bow Creek; there are multiple theories explaining how the creek got its name | 34,680 | ( 1,860 km2) |
718 sq mi![]() |
Stillwater County | 095 | Columbus | 1913 | Carbon County, Sweet Grass County, Yellowstone County | Stillwater River, ironically named for its very fast current | 9,290 | ( 4,649 km2) |
1,795 sq mi![]() |
Sweet Grass County | 097 | Big Timber | 1895 | Meagher County, Park County, Yellowstone County | The abundant sweet grass in the county | 3,665 | ( 4,804 km2) |
1,855 sq mi![]() |
Teton County | 099 | Choteau | 1893 | Chouteau County | The Teton Range which is in turn named for the French word for 'breast', teton. | 6,064 | ( 5,887 km2) |
2,273 sq mi![]() |
Toole County | 101 | Shelby | 1914 | Hill County, Teton County | Joseph Toole (1851 - 1929), the first and fourth Governor of Montana | 5,150 | ( 4,949 km2) |
1,911 sq mi![]() |
Treasure County | 103 | Hysham | 1919 | Rosebud County | Named promotionally to attract new settlers | 692 | ( 2,536 km2) |
979 sq mi![]() |
Valley County | 105 | Glasgow | 1893 | Dawson County | Much of the county lies within the valley of the Milk River | 7,640 | ( 12,745 km2) |
4,921 sq mi![]() |
Wheatland County | 107 | Harlowton | 1917 | Meagher County, Sweet Grass County | The many wheat fields in the county | 2,102 | ( 3,686 km2) |
1,423 sq mi![]() |
Wibaux County | 109 | Wibaux | 1914 | Dawson County, Fallon County, Richland County | Pierre Wibaux (1858 - 1913), a pioneer and cattleman | 1,121 | ( 2,302 km2) |
889 sq mi![]() |
Yellowstone County | 111 | Billings | 1893 | Custer County | The Yellowstone River, named in turn for the yellow rocks found along its shores | 155,634 | ( 6,825 km2) |
2,635 sq mi![]() |
Defunct County
- Yellowstone National Park (1872–1978)
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List of counties in Montana Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.